1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a non-polluting wastewater pyrolysis disposal system; and more particularly, to a system for converting wastewater to water vapor and a sterile solid residue.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The disposal of sewage sludge is a major problem throughout the entire world. Such sludge may be "septic sludge", such as that obtaining from septic tanks, or the sludge produced at conventional primary and secondary waste water treatment plants. Wastes ressembling sludge in strength produced in various waterless and limited water flushing toilets used on boats, trains, aircraft and in remote locations also pose a substantial disposal problem. Disposal techniques such as digestion, land fill, oxidation and the like are well-known in the art as partial answers to a difficult problem. What is needed is a technique for reducing the sludge to water vapor and inert solids.
The use of electrolysis in the partial treatment of sewage is well known and is the basis of numerous commercially available products. Typical systems are described for toilet systems by George C. Roberts, in U.S. application Ser. No. 490,347, assigned to Monogram Industries, Inc., and are discussed in great detail in the article entitled, SEWAGE ELECTROLYSIS, by Norman S. Wei and Gary W. Heinke of the University of Toronto, Canada, in the May 1974 issue of WATER AND POLLUTION CONTROL (Canadian). These systems depend upon the passage of a direct current through a liquid slurry of sewage to which a quantity of sodium chloride is added to increase the current and provide a useful supply of chlorine for sewage disinfection and odor removal through the accompanying oxidation process. Effluent is disinfected water which may still contain excessive pollutants preventing its subsequent disposal.
In most such systems, the simultaneous generation of hydrogen gas in the electrochemical reaction involved has been viewed with alarm, as hydrogen gas is dangerous, highly explosive and must be handled with care. In addition, an excessive amount of gas frothing of suspended solids in the wastes takes place where hydrogen is being formed.
The enormous problems in the treatment of sewage, such as human waste, can best be appreciated when considering the problem of disposing of human wastes in homes and establishments remote from conventional sewerage and septic tank systems. In such locations, where water for flushing conventional toilets is often in short supply, it is convenient in many cases to employ waterless flushing toilets such as those described by Rod et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,909 and others. In such toilets, the body wastes are collected free of the dilution of water otherwise used for flushing toilets and transporting the wastes to a disposition point.
As is well known, the body waste of an average male adult approximates 0.4 gallons a day of which 95% is water in urine and the remainder organic and inorganic materials of a wide variety. Of the 5% remainder, about half is in the form of dissolved materials; the other half being settleable and suspended solids. The waste output of women is less than that of men, while children produce even less. In total, the average family of four will thus produce slightly over 1 gallon of body wastes each day. Were this family to employ conventional water flush toilets using approximately 5 gallons of drinking water per use, statistics show the toilet would be used 7 times a day by each person or 28 times per day. At 5 gallons per flush, the total toilet waste would be 1 gallon or so of body waste intermingled with 140 gallons of toilet flushing water, all of which is heavily contaminated with noxious material and pathogenic organisms too numerous to list. The magnitude of the problem of handling ordinary sewage containing toilet flush water is further increased by the introduction of lightly polluted water from sinks, baths, showers and appliances that adds as much as 175 gallons of water per day to the already polluted sewage system.
It can be seen, therefore, that a system which reduces or eliminates the use of drinking-quality water for flushing will substantially reduce the quantity of wastewater and thus simplify its treatment and disposal.
In a copending application of Norris J. Bishton et al, entitled "Sewerless Recirculating Toilet and Human Waste Storage System", application Ser. No. 446,294, also assigned to Monogram Industries, Inc., a sewerless recirculating toilet and human waste storage system is disclosed wherein human waste products and an immiscible flushing fluid of a specific gravity less than water are received from a commode, the waste products are separated from the flushing fluid, and the separated waste products are stored indefinitely below a floating layer of separated flushing fluid, a portion of which is recycled back into the commode in a purified state for flushing the commode. The stored wastes are removed periodically and can be treated for recovery of inherent by-products or they may be transported to a remote treatment station and disposed.
In the latter case, an improved non-polluting wastewater incineration system for disposing of such human waste products in proximity of the commode would be desirable as an alternative to pump-out, transport and treatment at a remote point. The advantages of such a "sewerless" recirculating toilet and human waste storage system are discussed in detail in the copending application of Bishton et al. However, as discussed in the Bishton et al application, such system is not entirely self-centered.